Cold Hands, Warm Heart
by Stained by His-Story
Summary: What happens when Captain Cold is shown an alternate reality? A redemptive story about everyone's favorite anti-hero, Leonard Snart.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the show or the original characters. All added character are mine.

Leonard Snart had no idea where he was or what he was doing. The very fact he was disoriented irked him. The knowledge he was strapped down to a table, sufficiently trapped? That infuriated him. However, he well knew that if his anger got the better of him, it would put him in a position of weakness, so he gulped back his anger and surveyed the room.

The dreary room was deadly silent and terrifyingly chilly. Pipes ran up the corners of the walls like a tangled mess of rusty vines up a trellis. Black mold spread its toxic fingers across the mottled brown ceiling. A huge metal door with a strange-looking slit about a quarter of the way down stood like a formidable sentinel. Snart could see shadows dash across the slit, but whoever was passing his door never stopped in front of it. He wished they would. If he could know what was going on, then he could deal with it. He loathed being clueless.

 _How did I get here? Last I remember I was helping out that ungrateful snot, Barry Allen._ Snart rolled his eyes. Barry Allen had asked him to help catch a Meta known as Persephone She had been difficult to capture due to her ability to grant hallucinations of one's greatest hopes and dreams. Ordinarily, Snart would never drop his thieving business to help Barry capture a common Meta, but this one was different. This one, according to Barry and his Goody-Two Shoes Gang, was being _forced_ to kill and cause all manner of havoc. Persephone was being forced to be evil under pain of torture or death by a more powerful, male Meta. That's why Snart got involved in the first place, and that's why he was caught off guard when Persephone suddenly turned on him.

Right. That's how he ended up here. Snart was no Knight in Shining Armor, but he didn't care a rip for people who hurt women and children, so when an opportunity came to save a woman who was hurting, he jumped on it. What was with him? He'd never jumped on the "Save the Day" bandwagon before, but now that the Flash was presenting him with opportunities to punish those who were lawless and amoral, he found himself being drawn to action like a shark to blood.

The sound of metal screaming like an old hag jarred him out of his thoughts. A woman with pale, curling hair stepped into the room, her eyes rimmed with long, full lashes. Those same eyes stared at him earnestly, almost pityingly. Persephone. She leaned down over him, the ends of her hair tickling his ears. "Do you know why you're here, Captain Cold?" she asked, her voice a low purr.

"I would say that it's because you enjoy my company, but I don't think that's right," Snart replied, staring back into her eyes with equal intensity.

She smiled, and leaned down to his ear. "You need to pay homage to Hades."

Snart raised an eyebrow. "Your master?" His voice was low and his skepticism was etched in every word.

Persephone nodded slowly. "You see, Snart, this is not the only reality. You will see a new one, one where things may have turned out...well, differently. If you go against your morals, then you prove yourself the same as my master, and therefore, as his slave as well."

"I'm no one's slave," he spat. "You can't make me do anything. I'll die first."

Something like pity clouded her eyes. "No, no, no. No. You see, I will make sure you do not die, but I can make sure those you care about will...eventually."

His stomach clenched and sweat pricked on his forehead. Despite these cursed involuntary responses, he remained calm. "You're lying."

Persephone chuckled, a grating, musical sound in the back of her throat. "Mmmm. Just obey." With that, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

Fire leapt through his limbs, as ice filled his core. Leonard Snart had never been in so much pain in his entire life, and all he wanted was for it to stop. He felt as though his very soul was being torn from his body. With his own scream echoing in his ears, he shot up.

Somehow, someway, he had been transported to a different place, and, according to the clock on the side-table, another time.


	2. Chapter 2

The room was frigid, which made Leonard Snart painfully aware that he wore only boxer shorts and a t-shirt. As he leaned over the edge of the bed, his eyes scanned the room. Then, he felt it. On the edge his knee something cool and hard. On his left hand, glinting in the moonlight was a metal band. Snart froze.

Warm, soft hands touched his arm. "Leo," the bed shifted and the hands became arms that embraced him, "are you all right?"

Snart knew he was as rigid as an ice pick, but he couldn't help it. He noticed a similar metal band around her left ring finger as well. He turned his head slightly, gazing at her with a crinkled brow. What he saw took his breath away.

She was small, much smaller than him, with large, dark eyes that held all the warmth and intensity of a forest fire. Her nose was like a button, similar to one you'd see on those Cabbage Patch dolls. Her face was pale and smooth, like velvet. Large, chestnut waves cascaded around her face and down her arms, framing her face with a softness that almost seemed fragile. Her eyes were a little close together, giving her a bit of a creaturely appearance. What tied her all up were her large, pillowy lips that almost pouted when she gazed at him. Right now, those lips were parted just slightly in a silent question.

"What's wrong? Leo, you look like you've seen a ghost." Her tone was soft, but strong, like a river tumbling over rocks.

For the first time in a long time, Leonard Snart was silent.

She giggled softly. "Come on and rest. We have an early day tomorrow." She lay back down.

Finally, his voice came to him. "I'm, uh, going to get a drink." He rose abruptly, and, without waiting for an answer, left the room to wander the hallway. "What on Earth is going on?" he muttered to himself.

 _Having fun yet?_

Snart spun around, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Who's there?" he demanded.

Musical, but familiar laughter answered him. _You're in alternate reality, Captain Cold, or should I call you "Leo?" No matter, you're here and there's nothing you can do to get out unless you have somebody come and save you, which is unlikely given your track record._

"I'm going to get out of here," he responded icily. "And when I do, I'm going to make sure you're locked up so you can stop your stupid mind games." Snart was shocked at the words that had seemed to fly out of his mouth. They seemed far too heroic for his taste.

 _Only if I don't destroy your family first,_ she said in a sing-song voice.

Snart bristled. "If you touch my sister-"

 _Oh, no. Not your sister. Your wife and your children._

"I don't have any." Snart felt very stupid saying it; it was obvious that he had a wife, or in this reality, at least.

 _You married Poppy King, now Snart, eight years ago. Five years ago you two had your first child, Garrick, and two years ago you had your daughter, Lydia._

"I don't care. This is all a lie," Snart growled.

 _Mmmm. If you tell them that you're stuck in this reality then I will hurt them, and kill them. That would go against your silly code, wouldn't it? If you do not act like this is your life, then I will kill them and leave you here. If you act like a nice, little husband, I may even let you out...eventually. Go into the room on your left._

Snart scoffed. "Why should I listen to the voice in my head?"

 _Because the voice has the key to your freedom, dummy._

"No need for name-calling, I'm going." He snapped. Snart opened the door, and stepped inside, thick, fluffy carpet enveloping his toes as he did. A small bed was in the corner of the room, a Star Wars blanket draped over it. Nestled inside like a little geeky burrito was a little boy with dark hair that stuck out in every direction.

Almost unconsciously, Snart slowly lowered himself on the edge of the bed and stared at the little boy. The little boy's eyes fluttered, and he groaned.

 _This is what will happen if you don't act like this is your life._

The boy was writhing now, his small hands clenched in agony. A tiny cry escaped his lips and cut into Snart's heart like a piece of shrapnel.

"Enough!" Snart bellowed.

The boy's body relaxed, almost immediately.

 _Now, accept your role here, Snart. You're going to be here a while._

Leonard Snart felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He had no way to get out, and absolutely no control.

"Daddy?" A small voice called out.

Snart turned his head to, Garrick, wasn't it? He almost jumped out of his skin when he realized he was looking into the face of his five year-old self. _But this isn't me,_ he realized. _This is my son._ He let those last two words sink in for a moment. "What is is, Garrick?" he asked, forcing his voice to soften.

"I had a nightmare." He pursed his lips and crawled into Snart's lap, nestling his noggin under Snart's chin. Tears flowed down the little boy's face, landing like hot raindrops on Snart's hand.

Snart patted the boy's back gently a moment, a bit unsure of what to do. Then, like magic, the words came to him. "I'm going to fight the nightmares for you, okay, buddy?"

The little boy stopped crying and looked up at him. "Promise?"

Snart looked into the little boy's eyes, those eyes just like his own. "Yeah. I promise."

By the time Garrick had fallen asleep, Snart was too keyed up to go back to sleep just yet. Besides, he wanted to see his daughter. He found Lydia's room, just across from Garrick's. It was pink and cream, and covered in butterflies. A cream crib was nestled just opposite the window. Inside lay a sleeping angel. She was tiny and chubby and had long eyelashes. She slept so peacefully that Snart held his breath in her presence.

Finally, Snart returned to his bedroom, not really sure why he felt nervous when he entered the room. In the dark, he saw Poppy's form move.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, carefully laying down in the covers. He lay there, stiff as a board.

Poppy nuzzled up next to him. "I know this is difficult. If you need to talk about it, or if you don't feel like you can come..." Her voice wavered slightly, sadness enveloping her words like thick syrup. "I just-I know it's very hard. For all of us."

Snart was quite a long time. What was so hard? Obviously something, but what? "It is hard, but it's going to be okay." His words were hollow, but they seemed right somehow. Anything to keep Persephone from hurting them was worth a shot, he guessed. It was difficult to have any true feelings for a family you only just realized you had, but Snart could feel for them, because, well, supposedly they were _his_. And he knew as well as anyone, if you belong to him, then he'd protect you with his life. Even if he didn't feel like they were his, they were those who fell within his code of protection. He felt that he owed these strangers that, at least.

Poppy sniffled slightly. "And what if it isn't? What if this disease takes me?"

Start swallowed hard. Poppy was dying. Of what, he had no idea, but that was the case. For some reason, the idea made his skin crawl. "I won't let it."

Poppy stared up at him, her dark, warm eyes thawing something within his core, something that he had killed long ago.

Suddenly, Leonard Snart wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his chest. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, all! I am overjoyed that you are enjoying this story of mine! I am sorry it has been so long since i updated it. This new chapter is one of fluff and I am introducing some concepts that I will play around with in subsequent chapters. I apologize if it will be a while before I update again, but, hey, if the passion isn't there and I cannot see the story, the story doesn't come out right.

As always, I do not own _The Flash_.

Golden sunlight filtered into the room, the amber light kissing the two forms lying in one another's arms. When Leonard Snart's eyes fluttered open and beheld the sight of the young woman nestled in his arms, he almost fell out of the bed. Then, he remembered. This was an alternate reality—one in which he was a married man, a family man, and he had a role to play.

As much as he wanted to sleep more, it didn't feel right to lie next to a stranger and stare at her beauty. Snart carefully climbed out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom. He had to find a mirror, he had to make sure _he_ was real.

The door creaked as he opened it. The cold tile floor froze his feet, but didn't bother him. He could handle cold. He turned around, finding the mirror. Bending forward, he saw himself—nothing had changed. He was the same…except something in his eyes. There was a sparkle to them, a bit of life that he'd never recognized before.

"Hi, Daddy!"

Snart nearly jumped out of his skin.

Garrick stood in the doorway, one hand clinging to the edge of the door as he leaned over and allowed himself to pivot on the white tile. A giggle lit up his entire face. "Did I scare you, Daddy?"

Snart looked at him a moment. No one had ever snuck up on him like that. Even if he wasn't expecting it, he had always played it as though he was.

But now?

It was strange that one little boy could cause so much emotion in Snart's dead core. As he looked at the little boy, he wondered how he should respond. _What would I have wanted?_ he asked himself.

He knelt down and gently pulled him close to his chest. "You got me good, didn't you?" he chuckled lightly. Then, he ruffled his hair and winked. "You better watch out, because next time, I'm going to get you."

Garrick smiled like a bandit with contraband diamonds in his pockets. "Can we go scare Mommy?"

Snart drew a blank for the briefest of moments before he realized who Garrick was talking about. A devilish smile spread over his own face. "Let's go get Mommy." He quietly opened the door, and put his finger to his lips. Garrick looked up at him, mirroring his motions. He looked up at Snart as though he'd hung the moon and then called the sun to rise every morning.

Snart smiled at him, resisting the urge to scoop him up. He had to keep the fact that this wasn't reality in mind.

It was terrifyingly easy to get sucked into the gorgeous woman who was his wife, the pesky boy who was his son, and the angel who was his daughter. Unbeknownst to Snart, this reality was slowly seeping into every fiber of his body and pulling at the strands of his mind.

The two crept over the carpet, silently, slowly. Garrick was a natural at being stealthy.

The phone rang loudly, sending both of the boys sprawling to the floor. Snart tugged Garrick across the carpet and pulled him into his chest as he crawled over to the bed. He finally reached the edge of the bed and put a finger to his lips.

"Yes?" Poppy's voice came softly and sweetly. "Of course. Yes, we will be there at 2 o'clock. Mmm-hmm. I filled out the paperwork and I am bringing my referral. Oh?" Her voice changed tone. Something sad and hesitating clawed at her voice. "Yes. Thank you. No. That'll be fine. Thank you." She sighed tiredly.

Snart felt a knot of concern form in his stomach. He was glad of the fact that he hid his emotions so well. It would probably not be the best if the kid knew his father was worried, especially if the root of that worry was due to his mom. He held up one hand and counted to three.

They both jumped up and hollered.

Poppy jumped up, and was so surprised that she fell backwards. Giggling, she reached out for both of them and pulled them closer to her.

"You are terrible! Just awful! That was not very nice to scare me like that," she scolded, smiling at them all the while. "You know the rules." She raised an eyebrow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snart saw a flash of apprehension streak across Garrick's face. He wondered if he should be as concerned as his son appeared to be.

A mischievous look masked her face. "Tickle fight!" Poppy screamed, tackling them both and pinning them to the bed.

Snart dodged her soft hand, and turned all his attention on Garrick, who, in his opinion, deserved to be tickled. When Poppy wrenched from his grasp and finally got him, he had a ready response through his laughter, one which actually scared him. "Hey! I'm your husband! No fair!"

What scared him wasn't that he had a response waiting. It was because, within the response, there was a sense of resignation. Of owning his role of "husband." In his actions toward Garrick, he was owning the role of "father" as well. It seemed the roles came easily. And it scared him out of his mind.

He had always thought he was a lone wolf. It was his sister, Lisa, and his best friend, Mick. That was it. He was no father type, and certainly no husband type either. Who would stick around for a criminal as strange as he? He wasn't bad enough to attract a bad girl and he wasn't good enough to attract a good one. Besides, due to his status as one of Central City's Most Wanted, meeting anybody who would accept him for he was was impossible.

Yet, here he was, enjoying a very simple thing, seemingly doing nothing of importance, and, somehow, it made his soul come alive in a way that he had never known before.

Poppy rolled over onto her side, breathless. "Ahh. Now, my dear ones. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Waffles!" Garrick cried.

Snart smirked at the boy's passion for breakfast—he had obviously inherited it from him.

Poppy laughed softly. "All right. Let me go get Lydia up and we'll get to cooking."

Snart raised his head. "I'll get her, Poppy." He got up and padded into the nursery. Gently, he picked up Lydia, tucking her close to his chest as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She felt so tiny and fragile, and, because of it, Snart felt a protective urge well inside him. It felt similar to how he felt when he would protect Lisa from their father. It had felt right then, and it felt right now.

The sound of a metal bowl dropping onto the floor, accompanied by an "I'm sorry, Mom," jarred him out of his reverie. As Snart made his way into the kitchen, a familiar voice rang in his head.

 _"_ _Are you happy, Snart?"_ Persephone's syrupy voice questioned. _"I wouldn't get too attached to any of them, if I were you. I brought you into this reality and I have a view of its future. I know what happens to them in the end."_


End file.
